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His Life
Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) lived for seven years and some months under the care of his grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and then under the care of his father until his martyrdom in 40 AH. After that, he assumed the caliphate for several months, which ended with a peace agreement with Muawiya. Following the agreement, he returned to the city of Jeddah, where he spent the remainder of his life until his martyrdom.
Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) had significant moments during the period from the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) until the caliphate of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) after the killing of Uthman.
Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) experienced the bitterness of hardship and the betrayal of the nation after the Saqifah conspiracy and the control of the Quraysh tribes over the reins of power following the death of his grandfather, the Prophet (peace be upon him). He witnessed the great calamities that befell the prophetic household, such as the burning of the door, his mother Fatimah’s (peace be upon her) suffering at the door, the miscarriage of her child, Muhsin, the nail that pierced her chest, her broken rib, and the slap to her face, as well as his father being forced to take up the sword’s scabbard to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr, with his mother following them and pleading for them to leave her alone, threatening to uncover her head and pray against them. They feared this and released her. These were just a few of the immense calamities that made even the young grow old.
His young age and weak physical condition prevented him from supporting his father, who was weakened by the Muslims after they turned back from their faith, just as Allah had foretold in His book: {And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; many were the messengers who passed on before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels?} (Quran 3:144).
Once, Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) entered the mosque of his grandfather, the Prophet (peace be upon him), and saw Abu Bakr on the pulpit addressing the people. He shouted at him: “Descend from my grandfather’s pulpit!” A deep silence fell over the crowds, as they recalled the time when this boy used to sit with his grandfather on the same pulpit.
Another notable event occurred when Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) and his brother Hussein (peace be upon him) went to the grave of their grandfather, and Bilal, the muezzin, who had come from Sham after a dream where the Prophet (peace be upon him) reproached him for neglecting his visits, saw the two grandsons. He embraced them and wept profusely. The brothers asked him to call the adhan as he did during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Bilal climbed to the roof and began the adhan. The people rushed to the mosque, the women came out of their homes, and the entire city of Medina trembled with the sound of weeping. That day, after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the city saw no greater mourning.
A few months later, Fatimah (peace be upon her) passed away, leaving a profound sorrow and grief in the hearts of Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein (peace be upon them) for their grandfather and mother. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) tried to fill the emotional void.
The two brothers grew up next to their father, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace be upon him), until they reached adulthood. They followed his example, and during this period, they assisted their father in teaching the Muslims the Quran and the rulings of Islam. Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) also had his own independent circle of education in the Prophet’s mosque.
The dark years passed, heavy with sorrow, as the Prophet’s family witnessed the manipulation of the affairs of the Muslims by the sons of Umayyah and the ever-widening scope of deviation, until the situation led to the revolution against Uthman and his assassination in his own home.
During this period, Imam Hassan (peace be upon him), at the age of twenty, joined the Muslim army heading to Africa under the leadership of Abdullah ibn Nafi’. He also joined with his brother Hussein (peace be upon him) the army of Muslims led by Sa’id ibn al-As to open Khurasan in 30 AH. The army initially reached Qom, made peace with them, then proceeded to Jurjan and made peace again, and they fought the enemy in the town of Tamisa in Tabaristan, by the Caspian Sea. The battle was intense, the Muslims prayed the prayer of fear, and Allah granted them victory [1].
Although history has not preserved many details about the lives of the Prophet’s family during these dark three decades, it has mentioned a few notable incidents, such as Imam Hassan’s words when bidding farewell to Abu Dharr when Uthman ordered his exile to Rabdhah: “O my uncle, if it were not for the fact that it is customary for a person leaving to remain silent and for the one accompanying to leave, I would have spoken at length, but it suffices to remember the futility of the world and its hardships, and to hope for what comes after it. Be patient until you meet your Prophet, and let Allah judge between you and the people with truth, and He is the best of judges.”
During the revolution against Uthman, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) asked his sons, Hassan and Hussein (peace be upon them), to guard Uthman’s house in fear of the rebels attacking him. It is narrated by Ibn Kathir that Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) was injured while defending Uthman.
A new chapter in Imam Hassan’s life began after Imam Ali (peace be upon him) assumed the caliphate. During the five years he spent alongside his father in all of his wars—The Battle of the Camel, Nahrawan, and Siffin—Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) was a commander, fighting fiercely in the wars, confronting the opponents, and sacrificing his life for the straight path of his grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) entered Kufa with a group of his father’s companions when Imam Ali (peace be upon him) went to Basra. He gave a speech, urging them to fight. However, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, the governor of Kufa, prevented the people from going to support Imam Ali (peace be upon him). Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) turned to him and said, “Step aside from our work, may your mother mourn you, and get off our pulpit.” Imam Ali (peace be upon him) had given Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) the banner of his green army, which included the leaders of the emigrants and helpers, and Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) used it to charge at the opponents of the Battle of the Camel, shaking their ranks.
When Imam Ali (peace be upon him) saw Imam Hassan (peace be upon him)’s bravery and valor on the battlefield, indifferent to death, he cried out: “Hold back this boy, for I fear for him, for I cherish these two—Hassan and Hussein—more than anything, lest their deaths cut off the lineage of the Prophet.”
In one of his speeches, Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) urged the people of Kufa to fight their enemies from Syria: “We are angry for the sake of Allah and for you. No group ever gathered on a single matter but their situation grew stronger, and their unity solidified. Gather for the battle against your enemy, Muawiya, and his forces. Do not hesitate, for hesitation severs the hearts. And advancing toward the spears is pride and strength.”
Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) remained by his father’s side until the last moment of his life. On the morning of the 19th of Ramadan, 40 AH, the cruelest man struck Imam Ali (peace be upon him) on the head while he was praying in his niche. He was taken to his home and remained there for three days, during which he entrusted the leadership to Imam Hassan (peace be upon him), and passed on the legacy of the Prophethood to him. The remaining companions of the emigrants and helpers of Kufa gathered and pledged allegiance to Imam Hassan (peace be upon him).
It is narrated in al-Kafi that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) entrusted his son, Imam Hassan (peace be upon him), with the leadership and testified to his will before Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, all his children, the heads of his supporters, and his family. He handed him the books and weapons and said: “O my son, my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), instructed me to entrust you and hand over the books and weapons to you, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) entrusted me and handed me his books and weapons. He commanded me to tell you, when death approaches, to give them to your brother Hussein (peace be upon him)…”
